You're A Hero, Cap
by AvengeTheOddsAndSingToBeWanted
Summary: Steve wasn't sure about him being in the Avengers team. But then he finds a place built for him that he never knew about. With the help of Tony who knew about it all along , Steve finally realises his place in the world. One-Shot. Steve/Tony Bromance.


**My first Avengers Fanfic. This has been swirling around in my head for a really long time, so I finally typed it out, and after much editing, it's… 4,411 words long! Whoa, accomplishment! I hope you all like it! Please review; all will be deeply appreciated. I have many more Avengers Fanfic in my mind, so look out. Read, Relax and Review!**

On every other day, you would find Captain Steve Rogers' bike missing from the garage of the Avengers Mansion. Everyone else's vehicles were still there: Tony's many, _many_ expensive cars, Natasha's bulletproof SUV, Clint's Jeep with one too many bullet holes, a cheap car (well, cheap enough by Tony's standard) that Thor got when he learned how to drive, which could easily be replaced (with Tony's money of course) if he ever got 'clumsy' (which was the team's nice way of saying destructive), and not to mention Bruce's old battered truck, along with his 'borrowed' motorcycle the team managed to salvage from the battle with the Chitauri. But the Captain's bike wasn't there.

Why? Because Steve was riding it, somewhere in the state of New York.

It started two weeks after the battle in New York City. The Avengers were asked -well; mostly forced-to help in the clean-up of the city, and by then a lot of news and drama had surrounded this group of superheroes and the mysterious group known as SHIELD. For Steve, it was just too much to handle. So one day, he just got onto his bike and rode away.

Even after all the interviews and press conferences, the habit stuck. Steve would just ride, with no clear destination. He would stop at random places throughout New York: parks, museums, malls, anywhere that seemed interesting enough to visit. He would spend hours and hours riding, possibly getting home at midnight, skipping dinner altogether. Once he even rode for so long that he got back to the mansion at sunrise the next day, and he found the rest of the team preparing a search party.

But all the quiet time Steve had riding, he spent thinking. About everything.

World War 2, the 40s; how the war was won, how it should have been won. Modern technology, past technology, how fast everything had advanced from the past. New York City: past and modern. The Avengers mansion, SHIELD, the Avengers themselves. The battle against the Chitauri and how the team won. The Avengers' powers: Tony's suit, Thor's hammer, Bruce's anger management, Natasha's skills and Clint's bow and arrows. His own shield and powers.

Why he was even part of the Avengers in the first place.

It was this question that Steve was thinking about on the day that he finally got the answer.

.

It was a beautiful day, with the first signs of autumn appearing: the slight gust and the leaves turning orange and gold. To Steve, it was a great day for a ride. But his mind was focused on a whole different matter.

Steve always wondered why he was a member of the Avengers team. Compared to the others, Captain America was nothing.

Tony had his suit and all the gadgets, and more importantly he had the money to make them. Even though the iron suits needed charging, but with all the upgrades and technology, Iron Man was indestructible.

Thor was a god; he was immortal for goodness sake. He had the hammer that _nobody_ could pick up except him. He could control thunder and lightning. And if all the Avengers had a fight, Steve was sure that Thor would win.

Bruce was a shy guy, yes, but once he got angry, the Hulk was virtually invincible. He could deflect bullets and jump incredible heights. He was destructive, but powerful.

If there was ever something happening on top of a building, the three of them would be there in a second, while Steve knew he would be taking the stairs.

Hell, he would even lose to Black Widow and Hawkeye. They were assassins, trained to kill without a guilty conscious. They had plenty of skills that could defeat Captain America in a flash.

The team kept saying that Steve was the glue that held the team together. With his tactics and good-nature, the team could count on him to keep them calm. But besides that, Captain America was just a super strong guy with a shield in a star-spangled suit.

As Steve stopped at a traffic light, he broke out of his thoughts. Then, he noticed something along the side of the road. In between a row of trees was a gate, painted a deep blue and red with spots of white. There was a plaque beside the gate from which Steve could only make out the word 'Captain'.

Steve instantly knew this was the place to explore for the day.

He found a parking space, placed money into the meter and walked towards the gate, getting a good look at the plaque. Engraved into it were the words '_In Memory Of the Captain_'. The white paint spots on the gate were, in fact, _stars._

Steve knew something was up. Too bad the gate was locked. So, looking over his shoulder to see if anyone was around, he climbed over the gate. On the other side was a long dirt path with tall hedges on both sides. Anyone could tell it had been a long time since anyone tended to the plants.

He walked down the path, taking in everything. He didn't know what was at the end of the path, but it kept drawing him closer. As if he was meant to be there. Something, he didn't know what, made him feel that this was the place to get answers. The blue and red gate with stars and the plaque with 'Captain' on it. It couldn't just be a coincidence; this place was made for him.

Being so focused on his thoughts, Steve didn't even realise that he had reached the end of the path. And that's when he sees it.

At the end of the path was a huge clearing, and right in the middle was a small, square memorial building. It wasn't huge or glamorous, but it was still pretty amazing. On the steps of the building were items that made Steve do a double take. Captain America comic books, action figures, toy shields, trading cards, artwork, posters; any kind of Cap America merchandise possible.

Steve's eyes widened, feet rooted to the ground, realising.

It was a memorial place for Captain America.

.

Steve couldn't believe it. His mind was blank; nothing could process properly. A memorial built for him. How could he have not known about this place?

He carefully made his way towards the building. He bent down and examined the stuff on the steps. Some he could tell had been there for a really long time, while others looked pretty new, only a couple of weeks old.

He stepped over the items, climbing the steps towards the door. On the concrete of the doors, the pattern of Captain America's shield was engraved right in the centre. Beside the doors was a large metal plaque on the wall of the building. Engraved on it were the words, in the most beautiful and intricate font, 'For Captain Steve Rogers, the bravest soldier of all time'.

Steve traced the words with his fingers, slowly, especially over his own name. He didn't understand. Why would anyone build a memorial for him? What had he done that deserved this?

Realising that the doors were locked, Steve took a step back, preparing to knock down the door when…

"Rogers?"

As Steve turned, he lost his balance and fell right off the edge of the stairs, landing in the dirt.

"Ugh…" he groaned, squinting in pain at the person who shocked him. A person with a mop of brown hair and an air of arrogance around him, brown eyes looking down at him. "Stark?"

Steve pushed himself up, laying his arms over his knees. "What are you doing here?"

Tony raises an eyebrow. "I should be asking you that, Cap. What are _you _doing here?"

The super soldier gets up on his feet and awkwardly rubs his hand on the back of his neck. "I, umm, well; I was just taking a short ride through New York…"

"A short ride? From Manhattan all the way to Brooklyn? You know it takes at least half-an-hour?" Tony said, crossing his arms.

It was then that Steve understood why the neighbourhood felt so familiar; it was because he grew up there. No wonder he felt so comfortable riding through the streets.

"Yeah, well, I just happened to past by and decided to explore."

"And how exactly did you get in? The gate was locked."

"Well, I just… kinda climbed over them."

Tony started smirking, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "My, my, did Captain America just trespass onto private property?" Then he looked at the locked doors of the building. "And you know I could sue you with attempt of breaking and entering?"

"What? Isn't this a public memorial?"

"Well, I am the only one with keys to this place, so yeah, I own it, and that sorta means it is private property."

"You own this place?" Steve looked at Tony with shocked eyes.

"My dad did. Before he died, he passed the keys to me. The Stark family owns this place."

"Then you can tell me why is there a memorial built for me!" After that, questions just kept spilling out of Steve's mouth. "When was it built? Why was it built? How didn't I know about this? What's all this stuff on the stairs? Who built this?"

Tony raised his hand, immediately silencing the blonde. "Whoa, calm down there, Stars'n'Stripes. This isn't 20 questions. Don't get your spandex tights in a bunch." This, of course, was awarded with a glare from Steve.

Tony ignored it. "This place was built about a month after America won the war. By then, my father had kinda given up on finding you, so along with a couple of other people, he made a plan to build this place for you."

Steve was filled with curiosity. He was itching to ask Tony so many things. But, calming down, he figured it was better to go slowly with the questions. "Who were the other two in charge?"

The billionaire closed his eyes in thought. "Umm, I think it was… Colonel Philips? And one more… Agent Carter, was it?"

Agent Carter? Steve's mind was racing. Peggy was part of this?

Steve's mouth was already starting to form a question when Tony raised his hand once again. "Now, before you start flooding me with questions like why this and why that, why don't I unlock the doors so you can go in and understand more?"

Tony walked past the Captain and up the steps. He pulled out a set of keys, putting one into the lock, turning the key. There was a loud clack as the gears unlocked. Pocketing the key, he pushed the double doors, squinting in annoyance at the protesting groan of the doors.

By then, Steve had gone up next to him. Tony gestured to the insides of the building. "Welcome, Cap, to your very own memorial building."

Steve cautiously stepped in, not knowing what to expect. But right in front of him was something he never expected.

A life-sized statue of him in his old Captain America suit with his shield, but not with the helmet, was standing right in the centre of the building. The statue's face had an intense look, ready for battle. Steve never knew he actually looked like that. Around the statue was an American flag, along with other knick-knacks like the ones outsides, but there was something different about them, Steve just couldn't place a finger on it.

From behind him, Tony spoke up. "Who knew one of your army mates was such a great sculptor?"

Steve looks over his shoulder to see Tony with an amused look on his face. "This place looks bigger than it does from the outside."

"Yeah, because even though the war had ended, building supplies were still kinda limited. And this was the most the suppliers could provide. _But…_ my dad did know how to maximize space. So the place looks a whole lot bigger than it actually is."

Steve nodded understandingly as Tony jerked his thumb towards the back of the building. "You know, there's a lot more over there."

Steve walks around the statue and finds the entire back wall covered with framed pictures. Of him. Some of him in action, in his army uniform, in his first Captain American costume. These were the old ones. But there were some recent ones, like of him fighting in New York City, him during press conferences and him in interviews. But there was one right in the middle of the wall. A picture him before the experiment, back when he was still small and skinny. And underneath that picture was a metal plate with the words 'The Original Steve Rogers' engraved onto it.

"You know," Tony laughed from behind him. "When I first saw that picture, I couldn't stop laughing. I mean, come on, tell me that doesn't seem a little hilarious that you used to look like that!"

A small smile appeared on the Captain's face. A little humility didn't hurt anyone. "Yeah, I did look funny. I wasn't joking when I told you that I used to be a scrawny asthmatic from Brooklyn."

"I believed you; I just didn't expect it to be so epic." Tony jokes as he turns to face the adjacent wall. "Oh, I nearly forgot, right before the paint dried, my dad and your fellow comrades craved notes into the wall. You should go read them, some were… _really _touching."

Steve wasn't sure if it was sarcasm that he heard in his fellow Avenger's voice, but turned to that wall. Words and words were all over, but there was only one note he was searching for. And soon enough he found the handwriting he hadn't seen in 70 years.

_Dear Steve,  
__Well, the war is over, and you can take credit. You crashed the plane into the ice to save America. Howard still can't find you, but I just know you're still out there somewhere. But in the meanwhile, we'll use this place to help us remember you. And hopefully, one day, you'll come back and find this place. See how much you mean to all of us. You really are a hero. We all miss you. _I _miss you.  
__-Peggy_

The super-soldier gently touched the words with his finger, and then came out with a defeated sigh. The silence in the room was growing so thick with awkwardness that Tony coughed loudly and said, "Umm… I have something in my car, I'm just going to go… I'll be back soon."

"Wait." Steve called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. "You didn't answer me. Why are you here?"

Tony smacked his palm against his forehead. "Oh yeah, I forgot!" He reached into his pocket and fished out a small deck of vintage Captain America trading cards. "I managed to get these from Fury. I came to put them here. Since you're here, might as well sign them." He handed them over to Steve.

Steve already knew whose cards they were. Agent Phil Coulson. Nobody else would have kept the cards in such mint condition. Fury already told them that Phil didn't have them in his pocket when he died, he just used fake blood. Steve understood; they needed a push in the right direction.

Without asking, Tony handed a black marker to Steve before adding, "Use your own name when you sign it; don't use Captain America. And put them with the others near the statue. That place is reserved for stuff from special people." Before Steve could ask why, he was out of the room.

Steve looked down at the cards in his hands. On the top was the one with him in his very first Captain America costume when he a stage promoter, with his very first shield. Steve couldn't help but smile in disbelief at how ridiculous he looked. He uncapped the marker and signed on that very card.

_To Phil Coulson  
__Thank you for believing in me, and for watching over me while I was asleep. You helped us Avengers work together. We owe you for that. I'm sorry I didn't sign these earlier. We miss you, but I'll make sure you aren't forgotten. You were a great guy.  
__-Steve Rogers_

He placed the cards at the statue's feet, taking one last look at the place. He felt so tired all of a sudden, with the shock of it all. His questions weren't answered, and you could be damned sure that once Tony came back, Steve was getting his answers, one way or another.

.

Tony came back to find Steve sitting on the steps of the building, elbows on knees, face in hands. He walked over and sat beside him, nudging him in the side. "Hey, Cap, you okay?"

Steve lifted his head and looked at Tony with sad, blue eyes. He forced a smile that anyone could tell was fake. He ran a hand through his hair and said, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Cap, how many times have I told you that you suck at lying? What's wrong?"

Steve sighed, closing his eyes. "Why did they build this place for me?"

Tony gave the most straightforward answer he could. "Because you're a hero."

"No, I'm not!" The super soldier's shout caused Tony to flinch. Steve turned to look at him straight in the eye with an anger he had never seen before. "Not compared to you guys."

The billionaire's expression filled with confusion. "What are you talking about? Compared to whom?"

"The rest of the Avengers! The rest of you are so much better than me. Why am I even part of the team?"

"That's because you're-"

"I'm what? Nice? Caring? Great at making plans? That's not a superhero, that's just being a good person. I only have strength and a shield. That's not something worth making a memorial for!"

Tony didn't understand what Steve was so furious about. And the more he didn't understand, the more agitated he got. Steve wasn't supposed to be so negative. He never was. He could always see the bright side of things, no matter what situation. He didn't look like an optimist, but he was. "Cap, stop it."

The captain continued, but Tony cut in, raising his voice. "Steve, STOP! This isn't about being modest or humble anymore; you're just trying to put yourself down. Why are doing this; what's gotten into you?"

Steve sighed yet again, but he had considerably calmed down. "Tony, it's just… I… I don't see why people consider me as a hero. I mean this…" Steve gestured to the building. "Was built because I crashed a plane into the ice to stop a bomb from being dropped on New York. But bombs are dropped every day during the war, what difference did I make?"

"The difference was that you saved hundreds, thousands of lives by sacrificing your own. Maybe there were different options to stopping the bombs, but you didn't think of that. You thought of people's safety. You didn't even think of any other options. You just decided to crash the plane, freezing the bombs, which was the safest way. You knew you had to sacrifice yourself, but did it anyway. That's what's different."

Steve remained silent. So Tony continued, placing a comforting hand on Steve's shoulder. "Steve, your personality is what's greatest about you. Your kindness, loyalty, bravery, faithfulness; they don't come in every hero. It didn't change when you became the super soldier, in fact, those traits became better. Those things aren't superpowers, but those are things that make the hero someone people can look up to; someone to make a role model of.

"Yes, the others and I may be better skilled than you, but we can't compare to you when it's about personality. Just look at us: Thor is still pretty arrogant, Bruce still has breath-taking anger management issues; Natasha has serious trust problems; Clint can be an emotional rollercoaster. And me: even though I'm a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, I make rash decisions that turn around and bite me in the butt. And yes, before you say anything, a drinking problem."

Steve smiled as his listened to his teammate criticize himself. But the smile turned into a straight line almost immediately. Tony saw this and kept on talking. "Steve, like Fury said, and I quote, 'I still believe in heroes.' If he, the one-eyed, crazy director believes in us, a group of misfits, then you have to believe in yourself."

Tony gestured to all the items around them. "You see? All these things were left for you. Back in the 40's, people loved you. Everyday people would come to learn about the great Captain America. Over the decades, fewer people came, but recently, as you arrived on the scene and all over the news, people came back, leaving more and more things here.

"Most came because of your great heroics in the comics or in real life. But now and then, somebody would come because he loved the real Steve Rogers: the guy who would jump over a grenade to save his comrades; the guy who tried five times to get into the army; the guy who didn't want to kill Nazis just because they were German. And you are also the guy who crashed the plane into the ice, sacrificing himself in the process.

"Rogers, you are a hero because you are, genuinely, the good guy. The best good guy there is out there in the world. Think about Phil. He loved you not because you fought your way into the Hydra base camp; he loved you because you had all that bravery and loyalty in you; a good-natured person. You still have the faith in America today just as you did back then, despite all the bad things happening."

Steve turned to face Tony. "So, what, I'm a hero because I'm good?"

Tony beamed at his friend. "Exactly! You're the kind of guy who would stop a fight between the Avengers; you'll be trying to find a way to settle the argument peacefully. You're the friend who would help take care of someone's dog over the weekend; the one who helps a friend move on a Sunday, maybe pick someone up from the airport if needed. You have all that… goodness in you that make you the best superhero out there! You're the… the…"

The captain helped finish the sentence. "The glue that holds everyone together?"

"Yes, that's exactly it! The team needs you, Cap. Without you, we would be fighting all the time. We wouldn't get things done and we wouldn't have a proper plan or strategy. Besides, we need a little old fashioned every now and then. The gym would be empty, and SHIELD's budget for your punching bags would go to waste."

Steve laughed; a genuine smile reaching his face. His blue eyes stared straight at Tony's brown ones. "Thank you, Tony."

The billionaire smiled back. "No problem, Cap. And I'm serious you know, about needing you in the team. We need your body in that tight blue, red and white outfit. I would seriously miss making jokes about that. Oh, and not forgetting your 'fondue' references" As he finished, he received a strong punch in the arm. "Ow! Okay… okay, sorry. But seriously, you would miss us if you left, especially me." Tony wiggled his eyebrows.

Steve playfully rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, think all you want." He looked at Tony. "I didn't know you were such a great motivational speaker."

Tony gave a 'are-you-kidding-me' look. "I did say I was a genius, didn't I?" He reached behind him, pulling out two bottles of beer. "Here you go."

"Whoa!" Steve's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?"

"I took it from my car's icebox." Steve gave him a look, forcing him to explain. "I put it in myself. A useful upgrade if anything." Tony hands a bottle to Steve, opening his own.

The captain looks at the bottle, hesitating. "Stark, you know I can't get drunk."

"Who said anything about getting drunk, Rogers? Can't we just drink once without having a hangover?"

Steve opens his bottle before asking, "So, you're drinking beer now? No wine? No brandy or whiskey or whatever?"

"Beer was the first alcoholic thing I had, and besides: Beer makes people more drunk compared to anything else, so why waste the good stuff?"

Steve smiles, shaking his head in disbelief. He holds up his beer bottle to Tony's. "To heroes?"

Tony clinked his bottle against Steve's. "To heroes."

.

An hour had passed, and Steve was watching Tony lock the gate to the memorial. They had spent the time talking about random things, and the hour seemed to pass by in a flash.

As they walked towards their vehicles, Tony said, "Next time you go on a ride and you need company, you can ask me. It's actually really peaceful just driving around like this. Just don't call me when I'm working on the suit, or when I'm really busy in the lab, or-"

"I get it, I get it." Steve got on to his bike as Tony got into his car. "Thanks for the offer."

"Wanna race back home?" The billionaire shouted from his car.

"Nah, I'm just gonna drive around for while more." Steve answered, starting the engine. "I'll be back in about an hour. Don't need to organize another search party."

Just as Tony was about to drive off, Steve shouted to him, "Tony!" The brunette turned around. "Thanks for the talk. And the beer!"

Tony saluted him and then drove off. Steve rode off soon after, a permanent smile plastered on his face. He finally understood his place in the Avengers.

He didn't have the powers or skills that the others did. But he was a good person, which was enough to make him the best superhero among all of them. The shield, the outfit, the strength. Those were what helped complete the package of Captain America. He _was _the glue that kept everyone together, and he was proud of that. He had great friends and teammates. He couldn't leave them if he wanted to; they would endlessly search if he ever went missing.

Steve Rogers knew he was stuck in the Avengers as Captain America, and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


End file.
